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(No Model.)

E. T.. EVANS. RATGHBT WRENCH.

No-581y905.

Patented May 4, 1897.

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EVAN T. EVANS, OF KITCHEN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EBENEZER EVANS AND IVILIIIAM J. JENKINS, OF SAME PLACE.

`HATCHETH-vl/RENCi-i.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,905, dated May 4, 189'?.

Application filed October 8, 1896.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EvAN T.*EvA.Ns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kitchen, in the county of Jackson and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ratchet-IVrenches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper- Io tains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to ratchet-Wren ches of i 5 the class provided with a main shaft, carrying a head for engaging a nut, and the means of revolving said shaft in either direction, the saine being particularly adapted to be used where the nut is near the ground or floor or 2o is sunk below surrounding surfaces, and especially for placing in position and removing nuts upon railway-rails.

The objects of my invention are to provide a ratchet-wrench of that class that will be reasonablysiniple in construction, strong and durable, effective in operation, and having a ready means of reversing the ratchets, and adapted to receive heads of various sizes to Iit any size nuts.

My invention consists in the construction and combination of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective 3 5 view of the wrench as it appears when applied to a nut. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, a part of the lever-handle being broken away. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. isaplan view of the 4o spring which holds the dogs in contact with the ratchet-wheel, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the key which controls the dogs in their engagement with the ratchet-wheel.

The shaft A is shouldered off at the outer end to form a bearing for the loosely-revoluble handhold B, which is cupped out at h to receive a button or circular nut i, which is adapted to be screwed upon the threaded end ,7' of the shaft A and when in position to lie 5o within the cup 7i within the handhold B, as

Serial No. 608,224. (No model.)

shown in Fig. 2. The opposite end of the shaft A is of greater diameter and is provided with the square opening 7c, which receives the shank of the head O. Immediately back of the enlarged end of the shaft is an annular shoulder Z, said shoulder forming a bearing for one side of the casing m of the operating-lever D. A shoulder-rin g E,titting around the shaft A and secured thereto by a set-screw c, forms the bearing for the opposite side of the casing fm. 6o

The shaft A is provided with two raised portions n immediately back of the shoulders Z, which act as keys to hold the ratchet-wheel F immovable on the shaft A between the casings m of the lever D. The dogs 0 have each 65 a small opening r, through which pass the straight'portions s of the spring G. The dogs o are pivotally mounted within said casings uponthepinp. ThespringGissoconstructed as to constantly press the lower ends of the 7c dogs o into contact with the ratchet-wheel F. The key H enters the openings in the casings, one side having a small opening t and the other side having an elongated openin g u, through which the depending portion 'u passes 75 when placing the key in position. The key is secured by the pin lyand is retained in position by means of a coil-spring w, which encircles the extending shank cc between the casing m and the depending portion o. In 8o the casing m, next the elongated opening u, are two similar openings z, extending there* `from at an angle, as shown in Figs. 1, and 3.

Then it is desired to release one of the dogs from the ratchet-wheel, the key I-I is turned until the -depending portion o comes in contact with the dog and presses it away from the ratchet. The key is held in that position, with the depending portion 'U extending through one of the openings .a in the casings 9o m, by means of the spring w. The portion o, bearing against the dog within the opening e, is prevented from turning until the key1 is again pressed out of the opening a.

The head O is provided "with an angular 95, opening c, which engages the nut b. Back of the opening a extends a smaller opening c, which is adapted to receive the bolt d when the wrench is being operated.

The heads C may be provided with openloo ings c of different sizes, so as to it varioussized nuts, and each wrench may be provided with an assortment of different-sized heads.

In operation a head having an opening of suitable size to receive the nut is placed within the opening 7c in the shaft A. The dogs o are set to turn either to the right or to the left, as is desired. The operator then grasps the handle of the lever D in one hand and the revoluble handhold B in the other, and after placing the head over the nut operates the wrench by moving the lever D backward and forward, which causes the shaft A to revolve, thereby revolving the head C and turning the nut. The object in the revoluble handhold B is to enable the operator to hold the head C in contact with the nut b without having the handhold turn within the hand, as would be the case were it rigidly attached to the shaft.

It Will be seen that with this wrench a nut can be put on or taken oif in a corner, near the ground or floor, or when situated in a depressed inclosure or sunk below the surrounding surfaces, that the operation of putting on or removing then nts can be expeditiously performed, and that the wrench can be instantly changed to turn from right to left, or vice versa, without removing it from the nut being operated upon.

My improved ratchet-wrench is especially adapted to be used upon the nuts on railwayrails, as it will effect a great `saving of time and labor over the common S-wrench ordinarily used for that purpose.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In a ratchet-wrench of the class described, the combination with the shaft A, having the revoluble handhold B, secured by the button t; the enlarged end having the opening 7c, and annular shoulder Z, of the head C, having the opening a; the shoulder-.ring E, the ratchet-wheel F, the lever D, having the casing m, carrying the dogs o, controlled by the spring G; and the key H, having the depending portion o, and provided with the coilspring w, all substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination in a ratchet-wrench, having a revoluble shaft A, carrying a ratchet- Wheel F, immovable thereon; the hand-lever D,having depending casin gs m,throu gh which the shaft A, passes, the openings in said casings having a bearing upon a shoulder l, on the shaft A, and upon a shouldered ring E; dogs 0, pivotally mounted within the lever D, and held normally in contact with the ratchetwheel F, by means of a spring G, and adapted to be thrown out of contact with said ratchetwheel by means of the key H, having the depending portion o, and carrying a coil-spring w, substantially as set forth.

3v. The combination in a ratchet-wrench, of a shaftA, having the ratehetwheel F, secured thereon; a hand-lever D, adapted to revolve upon bearings on either side of the ratchetwheel, and provided with dogs o, engaging the ratchet-wheel, and held normally in contact therewith by means of the spring G, the bent members of which extend through openings i, in said dogs; a key H, having a depending portion o, whereby the dogs o, may be alternately thrown out of Contact with the ratchet-wheel F, substantially as set forth.

il. The combination in a ratchet-wrench, of a removable nut engaging head G, with a shaft A, having an enlarged end, provided with an opening 7.3, and shoulder l, and having a revoluble handhold B, secured to the opposite end by means of the threaded button i; a ratchet-wheel F, secured to the shaft A, by

means of the keys n, the shouldered ring E,

upon the shaft A; the hand-lever D, having the depending casings m, and carrying the dogs 0, having the spring G; a key II, having a depending portion if, and held in its normal position by means of a coil-sprin g w, substantially as shown and described.

5. In combination in a ratchet-wrench, the shaft A, having the enlarged end provided with the opening 7s, the shoulder Z, the handhold B, the button t', the shouldered ring E, the head C, having the angular opening a, the ratchet-wheel F, the lever D, having the casings m, the dogs o, pivoted thereto by means of the pin p, the spring G, controlling the dogs 0, the key H, having the depending portion o, adapted to engage said dogs, and held in its normal position by means of a coil-spring w; elongated openings u, and e, adapted to receive the depending portion t', of the key H, for the purpose of holding the dogs o, in the desired position, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EVAN T. EVANS.

Wvitnesses:

WILLIAM SHovnn, ELMER YATES.

IOO 

